Autobot Soundwave
by Raegarch
Summary: A series of oneshots set in an AU where Soundwave is part of the Autobots. Will include Soundwave/Arcee, Soundwave bonding with the humans and Autobots, and Soundwave being awesome. M rating is for wiggle room.
1. Animal Planet

**Animal Planet**

 **A simple documentary on a certain channel brings up bad memories regarding Soundwave's deployers.**

 **Author's Note: This is an AU where Soundwave was an Autobot from the start of the war.**

In the mornings, when the other Autobots were just awakening from recharge, Soundwave was always, always awake, and always leaving Laserbeak in his quarters to continue recharging. He was always at the ground bridge control, dilligently working, always calibrating or hunting for Decepticon signals. He only ever spent time with Optimus, because of their vorns old friendship, Raf, due to the human's skill with computers, and Arcee, for some reason the others didn't know, but there was plenty of speculation. Other than that, he was always working.

So it was when Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead arrived with ground bridge energy reaching towards them like feelers, their human partners in tow. Jack got off of the seat of Arcee's alt mode and quickly dashed over to the small television, Miko hot on his heels, the two arguing about something or other. Soundwave discarded the argument, returning to his work, upgraded sensors detecting Raf walking towards him, his yellow plated guardian following.

 _/Hey 'Wave!/_ Bumblebee beeped at him, tone cheerful, and Soundwave briefly lifted a servo in silent response, before his digits returned to dancing across the controls.

That was when he heard it. That noise. That achingly familiar noise. Coming from the human's television. He knew it was a mistake to look, but he did it anyway, he had to, had to see...

Soundwave froze. Turned. Dark, lithe form prowling, yellow eyes glinting, claws extending in a pounce, so like Ravage. The memories flooded his processor, swamping him with emotion, from finding his beloved symbiote to watching Airachnid skewer him. He was venting heavily, his digits clenched into a fist, and he was vaguely aware of the other Autobots staring at him, but he kept his optics on the television screen.

The images on the television changed, and he saw dark wings and large ears, and screeching that called to a long dormant part of his spark. Tremors racked his frame, and there was nothing but concern from his comrades, but he was lost in memory, remembering his beloved Ratbat, always too compassionate for his own good, before the spidery leg ripped into him.

The images changed again, feathered wings so like Laserbeak's, hooked beak, curled talons, Buzzsaw. He felt weak, he felt like he would collapse, he wanted to look away, he wanted to watch. He kept watching, even with the massive servo of Bulkhead drifting over his vision, and in his processor he once again saw Airachnid's talons ripping through Buzzsaw for trying to defend some sparklings.

The humans yelled at him, and for an instant they were Rumble and Frenzy, obnoxious and annoying and impossible to hate, but then he watched as a fusion cannon disintegrated their miniscule frames, leaving nothing but ash and sorrow. He fell to his knees with a clang, barely aware of the shouts of his comrades for Optimus and Ratchet, as fluid leaked freely from his optics.

He didn't even notice the pair of femme arms that wrapped around his neck, the lithe frame pressing against his slender one, the soothing voice that whispered in one of his audials. The tremors gradually subsided, his venting returned to normal, memories stopped assaulting him, and he noted Arcee...hugging him? Unsure, he brought his arms up and wrapped them around the femme, burying his visor in the crook of her neck, taking comfort in the presence of the only Autobot that knew what it was like to lose a partner.

"Soundwave: grateful." The mech mumbled out, voice hoarse from lack of use, and both humans and Autobots started at the sound.

"No problem. I've been there too, 'Wave." She replied, and the two slowly seperated and stood, while the three humans along with Bulkhead and Bumblebee stared expectantly. Ratchet answered their unspoken questions.

"The link between carrier and deployer is strong. Soundwave has lost almost all of his, and being reminded of them like that triggered the onslaught of memories you just witnessed. So might I recommend not watching that channel when he is here?" Anger filtered into Ratchet's voice, making the humans wince, and he walked over and took the power cord out of the TV with deft movements honed by vorns of surgery.

 _/'Wave's gonna be okay, isn't he?/_ Bumblebee beeped the question, optics wide with worry.

"As long as nothing else reminds him of his fallen deployers he should be fine." Ratchet replied with a wave of his hand, before returning to the med-bay.

"'Sides, we got 'Cee to calm him down if it does happen." Bulkhead clapped Bumblebee on the shoulder reassuringly, winking at Arcee and recieving a glare in return.

"Not. Another. Word, Bulk." She grit out, and Bulkhead simply laughed as he walked off. Her face softened as she turned to Soundwave, nodding in response to the question in the femme's eyes, and he turned back to the ground bridge control, resuming his calibration. He might have lost his deployers to the Decepticons, but he would die before losing his new family to them. He chanced a glance at Arcee, seeing her glowering at a laughing Miko and Jack, and smiled under the visor, glad it hid his expression.

Yes. He would die before he lost them.


	2. Why You Never Prank Soundwave

**Why You Never Prank Soundwave**

 **Bumblebee and Smokescreen have a prank war. And the Autobots learn why you never prank Soundwave.**

It started simple. Resetting alarms, paint buckets dropped at oppurtune times, magnetizing each others' frames, the works. Then, it got bigger, and bigger, until both sides were recruiting both Autobots and humans. Bulkhead and Arcee joined Bumblebee because the rookie had reset their alarms and forced them to get up at Soundwave's time. Raf joined 'Bee because of the guardian thing, but the other two humans joined Smokescreen to try and prank their guardians.

Eventually, every 'Bot had helped one side or the other against the enemy, Wheeljack even came to help, diverting from his original pupose here, Ratchet (shockingly) helped for payback, and Optimus because it was a team bonding exercise. All the Autobots helped except Soundwave. Now the war had escalated into a full blown firefight by the ground bridge control; both sides had somehow found the time to create makeshift paint guns, and everyone involved was covered in paint. The humans were small, but they were virtually impossible to hit, especially Raf, and they were all laughing. Both sides called for him to join, but he ignored them, he had almost decoded the next set of coordinates...

A ball of paint suddenly went flying towards his back plates, but Soundwave merely tilted his body to the right, dodging it effortlessly. Unfortunately, it splattered across his screen, and he had to hold in an exasperated sigh. Laserbeak chirped in disapproval at the others' antics, as another paint ball splatted against the screen. Vent in...vent out...vent in...vent out...vent in...vent out...vent in...

The paint splattered across the back of his helm. Vent out...

He left the room with the laughter of his immature comrades behind him, ideas already spinning through his head for revenge. Oh yes, they would learn never to mess with Soundwave's work.

Another paintball hit him in the back. He gritted his denta.

When Soundwave woke up, he felt something wrong...a disturbance in his routine. It felt late. Odd, considering his problem was usually waking up too early. He checked his chronometer, and nearly groaned out loud as Laserbeak chirped in shock.

Oh, they would pay for this. He tapped into the surveillance feed in Ratchet's med-bay, and a malicious grin spread over his hidden face. Vengeance would be sweet and glorious.

The pranks continued, and it seemed as though both sides of the initial war had created a truce that involved pranking Soundwave, and the mech quietly seethed while planning his vengeance. He had been magnetized (which had backfired and ended up in him stuck to Arcee for the day, not that he was complaining), doused in neon pink paint, had all the stuff in his room slightly changed so he went crazy trying to figure out what was different, and it had culminated in kidnapping a recharging Laserbeak. Soundwave had not been amused at that. But finally, throughout the week of endless torture, his plan was coming together. Just a little more time...

A paintball hit him in the visor.

Screw patience, payback time was now.

He searched out the Autobot that had hit him with paint as he swiped his servo across the reflective surface, noting a laughing Smokescreen in front of him. Oh, he had been saving this particular stockpile of feeds for quite awhile. He walked with purpose towards the ground bridge control, extending his feelers and plugging into the console, before stepping to the side and turning to face the Autobots.

"Attention." He played one of his recordings loudly, gathering everyone's attention. He gestured towards the screen, and played his surveillance feeds of Smokescreen in his room. The rookie had managed to paint himself in the exact same colors as Optimus, and had his hands in front of his mouth plates in an imitation of Optimus' mask, doing an awful impersonation of the last Prime, while looking in a full 'Bot size mirror.

The other Autobots were all staring at Smokescreen, who was in turn staring at the screen, jaw hanging open. Then the Smokescreen in the feeds said "One shall stand, one shall fall" in an attempt at a deep and somber voice like Optimus, and it just opened the floodgates of laughter. Soundwave allowed Smokescreen's embarassment for a while before holding up a servo for silence. He pointed towards Ratchet, startling the medic, and Soundwave flashed his smiley face emoticon across his visor. He'd been saving that one.

"You wouldn't dare..." Ratchet sputtered, as Soundwave played the feeds from the med-bay. It was Ratchet, in the med-bay, a human radio on one of the berths, volume turned up to maximum, singing along to the song and dancing, with hip wiggles dispersed throughout. Ratchet's face plates darkened in an interesting mixture of humiliation and pure rage, and the other Autobots were staring (again) at Soundwave's victim.

The silence was broken by the methodic sound of Soundwave's servos clapping, smiley face still proudly displayed, before he abruptly stopped and pointed to Bulkhead, causing the massive green mech to back away and raise his hands, desperately mumbling apologies, but they all heard the whirring noise of Laserbeak behind him, forcing him to halt. None of them had noticed the deployer detaching from his carrier, transfixed by the footage he displayed.

Soundwave gave out a hoarse laugh in his real voice, before playing Bulkhead's footage.

It was the large mech looking in one of Smokescreen's full size mirrors, practicing one-liners, while holding a small human book of various situations. Bulkhead covered his face plates with his servos in mortification, moaning to himself, while the Autobots he hadn't yet embarassed laughed at Bulkhead's expense.

Soundwave pointed at Optimus, his next target, who simply raised an optic ridge in a challenge, as if daring him to continue.

Challenge accepted, Prime. Soundwave thought, before displaying the footage. It was in Optimus' quarters, and the Autobot leader was asking himself, out loud, life's most important question: "Am I old?" This sent the Prime on screen into a self-directed pep talk about how he was still spry and virile, leaving the humans, Arcee, and Bumblebee in giggles while one of Optimus' optics twitched.

Soundwave's digit next landed on Bumblebee, who started, optics widening as he realized what Soundwave was going to show the others...

Soundwave played the footage. It was Bumblebee, in front of yet another full 'Bot size mirror (he'd have to start inspecting Smokescreen's requisitions orders), making various beeps in a low voice. And those beeps together made...

Pick up lines. Only Arcee and Raf laughed, but the other two humans started chuckling after Raf explained what was happening. Bumblebee clapped his servos over his audials and shaking his helm right to left.

Soundwave targeted the humans next, before displaying his little "blooper reel," as he had begun calling it. It was a compilation of the humans doing embarassing things, including Jack sliding off of Arcee's alt mode after trying to jump on, Miko drawing a shirtless Jack, and Raf walking into a wall while speaking to 'Bee. Soundwave unplugged his feelers from the console, leaving the humans red while he slowly walked over to Arcee, who smirked in amusement.

"My turn now? You got some embarassing footage from my quarters?" The femme teased, but Soundwave simply shook his head, unable to contain his growing grin as he deftly removed his visor and briefly pressed his mouth plates against hers, before pulling back and replacing the visor, leaving a stunned Arcee. He calmly walked away from the embarassed Autobots.

"Payback: Complete." His smirk was obvious in his voice, and he let out a chuckle. But he still noticed Arcee bringing her servos to her mouth plates with a shocked expression on her face plates.


	3. Soundwave: Autobot Therapist

**Soundwave: Autobot Therapist**

 **In the Autobot base, only one mech is willing to listen to everyone's troubles, comfort them, help them with their issue, and that mech is Soundwave...unfortunately for him.**

Soundwave was once again working at his console, attempting to decode more of the Iacon database. So of course, that was where Smokescreen found him. The young mech seemed nervous, wringing his servos and bouncing on his pedes, as he slowly walked over to Soundwave.

"Hey, Soundwave..." Smokescreen hesitantly greeted him, and Soundwave had to repress a groan. They always interrupted him when he was in the middle of decoding, and always when he was almost done. Soundwave reluctantly turned away from his console and faced Smokescreen, detaching his feelers from the console as he did so. Smokescreen flinched at the sight. Soundwave knew Smokescreen hated his feelers, but he could scrap himself. He interrupted Soundwave, he can deal with his feelers.

"I was wondering if we could talk...in private?" Smokescreen asked, and Soundwave froze. He knew what this was. Slag the other Autobots for using him as their completely silent sounding board! Slag the humans for doing it too! And now the rookie is going to do it. Barely restraining a sigh, the mech nodded, struggling to keep from hanging his helm as he led Smokescreen to one of the many storage bays. They stopped at Bay 9, and Soundwave moved aside to allow Smokescreen to enter first. The young mech did so, and Soundwave followed, closing the door and preparing himself for Smokescreen's onslaught.

"So, I know I'm still new, and I'm pretty green, but there are times I feel like you guys don't..." Maybe there was time for a brief recharge. Smokescreen wouldn't know. Oh, the joys of having a visor. No, he had a responsibillity...

"...and I have always looked up to Prime and Ultra Magnus and all the big names in the war..."

Couldn't he overlook it just this once? No, he had resigned himself to the fate when he started serving as Arcee's therapist-thing...

Sweet Primus, is she the only reason I socialize at all? Maybe I should start doing stuff with the humans.

"...but I guess chickens don't have much to do with Autobots, but you get what I mean..."

Soundwave almost nodded off, but a chirp from Laserbeak stopped him. He moved his optics around the room, before stopping on an odd shape in the ceiling. It looked kind of like one of those Earth creatures-

"...I mean, it isn't like your thing with Arcee..." Wait, what? Did they have a thing? Sure, she flirted with him, and he had kissed her that one time. And sure, she had been the one who broke him out of his little memory attack, and sure, he had helped her out with Cliffjumper's offlining...

"...but I just wonder sometimes if I'm actually useful to the team, or if I'm just dead weight..." Holy scrap, they had a thing. A wierd, middle-of-a-war thing, but a thing nonetheless. Holy scrap...

"...you're right Soundwave! I am useful, and Prime is going to let me go on a mission when he knows it's time! Thanks 'Wave!" Smokescreen thanked him, before moving out of the Storage Bay, leaving a lost in thought Soundwave behind. He was still there when Optimus found him, after asking Smokescreen for his location.

"Soundwave...you are an old friend, a mech I can always rely on to tell the truth, right?" Soundwave nodded in response, broken out of his reverie by Prime's deep voice.

"Then, tell me...am I getting old?" Slag. That recharge was starting to look really good right now...

"...but can I be a good leader and be in less then my prime?" Soundwave almost sighed. This was going to be a long day.


	4. Minus One

**Minus One**

 **Author's Note: In this AU, Soundwave's place on the Decepticons is taken by Sixshot, a Decepticon with six alt-modes. He is not an OC, for those unfamiliar with him, just transplanted from one Transformers universe to this one.**

 **While the Autobots try to stop a Decepticon raid led by Megatron, one of their number is taken.**

When he awakes, his disoriented processor met with pain. Pain in his chest plates, from the brutal impact of Megatron's fusion cannon, and everywhere else from contact with the ground. Soundwave cursed the Decepticons inwardly as he noted he was restrained and tied to a medical berth, briefly struggling against his bonds before realising it was fruitless. He tried to make his sluggish processor respond by remembering how he got here.

It had been another raid from the Decepticons, stealing human materials for some unknown reason. They had all gone, and Soundwave had been forced to leave his usual post at the Ground Bridge Control to fill in for a recovering Ultra Magnus. He had been flying in his alt mode, strafing the Vehicons, when Megatron came through the Ground Bridge along with dozens of Vehicon reinforcements. Optimus had ordered the retreat, and Ratchet had opened a Bridge. Soundwave had been flying towards it and then...

The fusion cannon brought him down as he deployed Laserbeak to hold the 'Cons off. He had spasmed on the ground, overriding Laserbeak's processor with the command to flee, and had closed the Ground Bridge behind his symbiote and the others. He remembered a smug Megatron and smirking Knockout looming over him, and then...he was dragged. Onboard the Nemesis. He was on board the Decepticon flagship. He jolted with the realisation, causing a booming laugh to fill what looked like Shockwave's laboratory.

"So, our prisoner awakens. Excellent." Megatron's voice rang through his audials, and Soundwave noticed the Decepticons all gathered around him. Starscream was smirking, as was Knock Out, Shockwave was just...staring at him, Sixshot leaned his large frame against the wall, Predaking glowered, and Megatron grinned, exposing his sharp denta.

"I guess that means we have all the time in the world to make him scream." Starscream gloated, arrogance flooding his voice.

"Normally, I would simply order Shockwave to dissect you and rip the information out of your drives, but I am feeling generous. What is the location of the Autobot base? Speak, and I may consider making your deactivation painless." Soundwave simply smirked at the former gladiator's arrogance, before setting the tyrant's voice to music and messing around with it a little, punctuating his mockery with a smiley face on his visor. It was satisfying to see Megatron's sneer turn into a glower of irritation and anger as the larger mech advanced towards him and held his fusion cannon to Soundwave's helm.

"I am more than willing to rip you apart, piece by insignificant piece, Autobot, in order to get the information I need." Megatron threatened, and Soundwave responded by broadcasting a sonic pulse through the lab, causing all of the Decepticons to keel over in pain. Cutting off the attack, Soundwave's smirk grew under his mask.

"Lord Megatron, continued threats are illogical. Soundwave is far too loyal to Optimus Prime. I suggest dissection in order to discover the Autobot secrets stored in the subject's drives." Shockwave's clinical voice rang out as he stepped forward. But Soundwave had already prepared his protocol. It was one he hoped never to use, created at the onset of the war. Since coming to Earth, he had renamed it from "Final Protocol" to "Cyanide Pill," considering he was practically commiting suicide by using it, just like some humans when captured. He always loved metaphors. It executed, and Soundwave closed his optics.

All of the data in his drives filtered through his processor, from inconsequential trivia to his most precious memories. He saw one of his favorites, when Optimus had first been introduced to the symbiotes and they had tackled him when he walked in and Soundwave had to pry them off his friend. He saw the war, Orion saving him from execution at the hands of Megatronus, the greatest moments with his symbiotes, their deaths, coming to Earth, meeting the humans, helping improve Raf's car, Miko always begging him to take her flying, Jack becoming a leader, Unicron, Optimus reverting to Orion Pax, the pranks, the hunt for the relics, always having to listen to everyone's problems, his memory attack, Arcee...

The last thing his drives wiped was her.

"Soundwave superior. Decepticons inferior."

It was nerve wracking, having a teammate imprisoned by the Decepticons. But for Arcee, it was hell. She cared about Soundwave, in a way that was less brotherly than with the others. She had never really had a romantic interest in anyone, mech or femme, but she had partners. She had lost Tailgate and Cliffjumper to the 'Cons, and they had been in Soundwave's position, at the whims of some sick Decepticon. She had almost lost Jack in the same way. But Soundwave wasn't her partner. He was her friend, her best friend, and sometimes more than that, and Megatron had him in his clawed digits.

It had started off so easy. Take down a few Vehicons, stop them from stealing and completing their plan, the works. Then Megatron had shown up with a veritable army of Vehicons behind him, too much for even them to handle. Optimus called the retreat and 'Wave was flying towards the Ground Bridge, and she could have sworn he was right behind her as she went through. But now Soundwave was gone, and they only had Laserbeak. A reversal of roles, considering the time the Decepticons had planted a bomb inside of Laserbeak.

They were all worried for Soundwave. 'Bee couldn't hold still, Ratchet was staring at the Ground Bridge Control and working furiously, Ultra Magnus gazed upon his new appendage, likely blaming himself, Bulkhead was trying to get Wheeljack to calm down and not decide to storm the Nemesis, despite likely wanting to do the same thing, Smokescreen was letting out enough curses to make a Kaon gladiator embarassed, Optimus stood ramrod straight with his servos clenched at his side, and the humans kept casting nervous glances towards a pacing Arcee.

Their silence was broken by an audible chirp from Laserbeak, who slowly drifted over to an empty console and plugged his miniature feelers into, attracting their attention. On the screen was a single protocol, written in large Cybertronian characters, spelling out "Cyanide Pill." It was what Soundwave was willing to do, to keep information out of Megatron's claws. Just thinking about a lifeless Soundwave, with a perfectly intact body and an empty mind, was enough to make them all feel sick.

The display changed suddenly, to another protocol, the "Full Glass Protocol." Reading it gave them a spark of hope. Laserbeak had the entirety of Soundwave's processor housed in his frame, and simply needed to connect with his carrier to return every ounce of it, undoing the "Cyanide Pill." Laserbeak unplugged from the console and drifted over to the humans, feelers latching on to a railing and keeping Laserbeak perched there.

"Prime!" Fowlers voice cut in, attracting the Autobots' attention to the Ground Bridge Control.

"Tell me you found out what the 'Cons are planning." Fowler pleaded, but Optimus shook his head in response.

"No. And we have lost one of our number investigating. Our surveillance chief and communications officer, Soundwave." Prime replied, voice somber and sad.

"You mean the visor guy? The one who knows every dirty little Autobot secret? That one?!" Fowler shouted, a vein throbbing in his forehead.

"Soundwave will not give up information. He has a protocol at his disposal that will erase every memory and file on his drives should he be captured." Prime informed the human agent.

"So it's a 'Bot cyanide pill, huh? Is there a way to bring him back?" Fowler asked Optimus.

"Yes. We simply need to get Laserbeak to Soundwave." Prime replied simply.

"Good. Now, I've got a meeting with General Bryce about these 'Con attacks. I'll be at the base as soon as possible" Unbeknownst to the human agent, a dark colored and metallic wolf creature was following his car, the Decepticon insignia emblazoned proudly on the creature's flank.

"Lord Megatron, I am following one of the Autobot's fleshies. We will soon have your medic." Sixshot growled, the cannons on his back plates shifting as he stalked the vehicle.

They waited for a while, before an alert from the Ground Bridge Control sent them into the hub of the base.

"Agent Fowler has sent word of another Decepticon raid." Optimus told them, before gearing up. They all went out except Ratchet, even Ultra Magnus at his and Wheeljack's insistence, and the Ground Bridge opened. They drove out in their alt-forms, subconciously missing the sound of a jet engine overhead, as they entered the frozen South Pole, ready to rescue their comrade.

Full Glass Protocol intiated...

Uploading data files...

Uploading memory files...

Rebooting processor...

Soundwave awakened with a jolt, noticing the familiar warmth of Laserbeak on his chest and Arcee standing over him. He noticed he was lying in a scrap pile, filled with rusting metal and Cybertronian limbs from Vehicons, Eradicons, and even some Insecticons. He also noticed that Arcee was smiling, full on smiling, not the familiar smirk, and Soundwave decided it was quite attractive...

He suddenly remembered he was on the Nemesis, likely surrounded by Decepticons. He reached out and linked with the Autobot Ground Bridge control, opening a glowing vortex right next to them. Arcee helped him up, keeping her servos on his frame, and helping him through the Ground Bridge.

They emerged to quite a sight. Sixshot, in mech form, had Ratchet by the throat, before slinging the Autobot medic through a Decepticon Bridge. They were lucky that Soundwave had closed his Bridge, or they could have ended up in the Shadowzone, but they weren't worried about that. Before Arcee could even fire, Sixshot was through the Ground Bridge, and it vanished behind him. They had just got back one teammate, now they had lost another.

It was later, after they had all settled down and began hunting for Ratchet, that Arcee talked with Soundwave, who was once again working late into the night, while the others were in recharge. Soundwave's sensors detected the femme coming towards him and he turned to meet a fist to his shoulder. He looked at the blue femme questioningly.

"That was because you wiped your drives." She told him, before quickly removing his visor and bringing his mouth plates to her own, entwining her glossa with his. They seperated after awhile, and Arcee leaned against the slender frame of Soundwave as the mech wrapped his arms around her.

"That was because you're alive." She mumbled, and the two stayed like that.


End file.
